The Proposal
by Gwen Cooper Williams
Summary: Gwen/Owen. Spoilers for last half of Season One. AU for Season Two. Owen has an important question to ask Gwen and muses on how they got there.


He fingered the velvet box in his pocket. This was it. Today was the day. They had been dating exclusively for about eight months now. It started when Jack went missing. They fell back into each other's arms, back into their old routine. When Rhys left her, it only made sense for her to move in with him. After all, she spent most nights there anyway. Slowly, his flat had been turned from swinging bachelor pad into a quaint, cosy, very domestic dwelling.

He grinned as he looked around the flat. The leather couches had been replaced with bright comfortable seating. Filmy curtains had been hung over the large picture windows so they could have privacy when they wanted it. The desk in the corner now held two computers, and the shelves easily now held three times the number of books he owned. The kitchen had real cooking utensils and the pantry actually had food in it. Of course, both he and Gwen were rubbish at actually cooking, but if they wanted to try, they had all the proper equipment.

He moved on into the bedroom. Perhaps the most changes had occurred in here. Gwen had insisted on purchasing a new bed. Said she didn't want to sleep every night in a bed that once been his "bed of sin". Her words, not his. He humoured her and bought her a king sized wrought iron bed, the kind that has those curtains you could pull around it for privacy. He had made room for another wardrobe, and replaced his single dresser with a double dresser.

The bathroom counter was now strewn with make-up compacts, hairbrushes, and other "girly stuff", as he called it, but he didn't mind. Hanging on the towel rack were two towels, and the shower now had so many products lining the side he lived in fear of knocking them all over each time he showered. But he loved it.

He never fancied himself a one-woman man, but here he was. Owen Harper, about to be permanently attached to one woman for the rest of his life. And he was happy about it. Quite possibly the happiest he had been since he walked across the platform at Uni graduation.

When he shagged Gwen the first time, it was just a shag between friends. Friends who needed release after the intense day they had. The second time, he was just randy. But by the third, fourth, and fifth time it happened he started to think there might be something there. But Gwen still had Rhys, and Owen didn't think he wanted to ask her for a relationship.

Then, he met Diane, and allowed himself to get lost in her to try to forget about Gwen. When Diane left he invited Gwen over for what he thought would be just a comfort shag for him. How wrong he was. Ending things with her the same day he got into a cage with a weevil...well, that was just plain stupid on his part. But he felt so guilty over things. He knew Tosh had blabbed to Gwen about Diane, knew she felt a little hurt that he had swanned off with someone else. He thought breaking things off was the best thing for both of them. He was wrong.

When Jack left, it was like a giant hole had been left in the team. No one actually wanted to take charge, but someone had to. Owen was crap at being a team leader. He enjoyed the bossing people around part, but couldn't stand all the paper work. He graciously allowed Gwen to take the position, and then promptly shagged her on her new desk. Gwen was a good leader; he couldn't deny her that. And she was a fair leader, too. Didn't show him any special treatment just because she was spending her nights in his bed.

Rhys left her shortly after Jack's disappearance. Gwen hadn't returned home for the three days while Jack was dead, didn't even call Rhys to tell him she wouldn't be around. Rhys had tried her mobile several times, only to be met with the cheery "Hi! This is Gwen! I can't get to my mobile right now, so leave a message and I'll call you back!" until he finally received the "mailbox full" message. When Gwen finally went home, it was to a near empty flat, and a note from Rhys that simply said "I guess I know what's more important than me." Gwen hadn't bothered to try to call him or to reconcile. She just packed an overnight bag and showed up at Owen's door. Two weeks later, she had moved in.

Which brings Owen back to the present. And to his special question for Gwen tonight. He had secured a promise from Jack that he would not bother the two of them tonight unless the world was going to end, and even then, he wanted Jack to be damned sure he couldn't handle it without them before ringing them. He had made reservations at one of the fanciest restaurants in Cardiff. He planned to take her out for a nice dinner, and then he planned on proposing to her as they walked along the bay. He had bought Gwen a new dress he hoped she would wear tonight. A pretty dark green dress that he knew she would look fabulous in. He even had bought her a new pair of earrings to hopefully throw her off the proposal trail.

He shifted his weight from one foot to another and nearly jumped out of his skin when his mobile went off. Tosh. Bloody Tosh. He really hoped she wasn't calling him for Jack. "What?" he said a bit angrily into the phone.

"Lovely greeting, Owen. I was just calling to let you know Gwen's just now leaving. How are the plans for tonight?"

"Brilliant. It will be absolutely brilliant." Tosh had been the only member of Torchwood who Owen had told about his plans. He needed someone to help him make sure they weren't interrupted, and he had wanted a woman's opinion on his choice of ring.

"Good, good," came Tosh's response. "I don't expect to see you until sometime after noon tomorrow!" She added as she hung up the phone.

Owen flipped his phone to off, and made a note to do the same to Gwen's when he heard her key in the lock. He greeted her at the door clad in a formal suit and holding a dark red rose. Gwen kissed him and took the rose from him. "Ooh, are we celebrating something tonight?"

"I thought it'd be nice to go out on a romantic dinner. I bought you a new dress, I hope you don't mind." He took her purse off her shoulder and tossed it onto the settee, leading her by the hand down the hallway to their bedroom. "Reservations are for eight. I didn't want you to feel rushed."

Gwen gasped when she saw the beautiful dress and the earrings. She kissed Owen softly. "I love it."

Owen motioned over to the bathroom. "Did you need a shower?"

"Mmm. Only if you'll join me, love." Gwen began removing her clothing and tossed it towards the hamper in the corner.

"Gwen, sweetheart, I'm already dressed."

"I don't care." Gwen slid off his suit jacket and laid it out on the bed next to her dress, and made short work of his tie and shirt buttons.

Owen panicked for a minute. If Gwen took off his pants, she'd feel the lump of the ring box. "I'll meet you in there. I just want to make sure my shirt won't get wrinkled first."

When he was sure Gwen was inside the shower he removed the box from his pants and transferred it to his jacket pocket. He removed the rest of his clothes and started towards the bathroom when he had an idea. So being proposed to while you were wet and naked might not be as romantic as being proposed to on a walk along the bay. He didn't care. He loved Gwen, and couldn't wait for her to agree to be Mrs. Harper. He pulled the box out of his pocket, took the ring out, and walked into the bathroom to meet his future.


End file.
